How to Say "Coffin" in French

cercueil

/sɛʁ.kœj/masculine

The French word for coffin is cercueil.

cercueil is a noun used to describe the box in which a dead person is buried.

Meaning: box in which a dead person is buried (noun)

Is it said differently in some regions?

In certain parts of Quebec, Canada, the term bière is used to mean coffin.

The word cercueil is a masculine noun.

The word is pronounced /sɛʁ.kœj/. It has two syllables.

In French, the word bière refers to both 'beer' and a 'coffin'. This dual meaning comes from the Old French word for a trestle or stand used to hold a body during a wake.
The term mise en bière is a standard French phrase meaning 'the placing of the body in the coffin', which sounds like 'putting into beer' to a new learner.
In traditional French funeral customs, the cercueil was often kept open during the 'veillée' or wake, a practice that differs from the closed-casket traditions common in some English-speaking cultures.

Le cercueil était vide.
The coffin was empty.
This sentence shows how to use cercueil to describe an empty coffin.
Tatoeba #12353255 by lbdx, translation #4498261 by CK
Le cercueil fut chargé dans le corbillard.
The coffin was loaded into the hearse.
This sentence shows how to use cercueil in the context of a hearse.
Tatoeba #1482814 by sacredceltic, translation #1482716 by Spamster
Cette affaire était un clou dans mon cercueil.
This affair was a nail in my coffin.
This sentence shows a metaphorical use of cercueil in a common expression.
Tatoeba #1011762 by sacredceltic, translation #11017178 by tjwhale
Je dois organiser l'achat d'un cercueil pour l'enterrement de mon grand-père.
I need to arrange the purchase of a coffin for my grandfather's funeral.
La famille a choisi un magnifique cercueil en bois.
The family has chosen a beautiful wooden coffin.
6 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two people are visiting a cemetery to prepare for a funeral.

Sources

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